Paul Barber interview on Seagulls World

[Stat Brother]

Yes, I agree. However..... Until TB's interview yesterday, I thought TB's limit for operating losses was, coincidentally, the same as the FFP limits - ie £8m and falling. Yesterday, TB said that if the League votes for the FFP limits to be increased, he would increase Sami's playing budget.

So, while I still think that TB has a cap above which he won't want to spend, that cap isn't the same value as the FFP limits as they currently stand.

Putting this in idiot terms, so I can understand.

The eventual goal has to be promotion.

If the FFP limit is raised from £8m to £20m, Tony can't reach his ultimate goal carrying 'only' £8m debt.
On the other hand I can't see Tony suddenly going palace crazy and freeing up £12m more debt.

The club are also not going to say at the new manager press conference:-
'We're cutting budgets, expenditure, and player contracts, but it's play-offs or this chump is out'.

 

[Goldstone1976]

If the FFP limit is raised from £8m to £20m, Tony can't reach his ultimate goal carrying 'only' £8m debt.
On the other hand I can't see Tony suddenly going palace crazy and freeing up £12m more debt.

Leaving aside the nuance that it's not total debt that FFP controls, rather it's the annual operating loss that can be funded by owners' equity injection/loans, I was very surprised to hear TB say that if the allowable FFP loss was increased he would increase the playing budget. I had previously thought that the FFP allowable loss limit happened to be broadly equivalent to the injection that he was prepared to make.

The key question of course is what Tony's maximum sustainable loss pa is. All the time the FFP allowable limit is lower than TB's limit, TB seems to be happy to plough in the dosh up to the FFP limit. Personally, I can't see the FFP limits being increased dramatically, so it's unlikely to be a problem for us. If however, the FFP limit was increased from £8m to (a ridiculous number only given to make the subsequent point) £100m pa, we would then see what TB's personal appetite is...

 

[keaton]

Definitely the way to approach these 'debates'.

.

I'm not anti-Barber( because I have very little idea what he actually does). But what would say (being Pro-Barber) are his best three achievements?

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm not anti-Barber( because I have very little idea what he actually does). But what would say (being Pro-Barber) are his best three achievements?

I'm a fat middle aged postie from the better half of Sussex.
Like 95% of this board, I have no idea what any Chief Exec does, let alone PB, therefore I'm not Pro-Barber.

I guess if I were to look upon PB with rosy specs I could point to:-

- His handling of the budget and spending, all seem to be back in line after a shaky Amex start.
- His accountability.
- His contactableness. (Anyone emailing CEO Stat on a Sunday lunchtime about quickest mode of transport to the Amex from the pier, wouldn't do it again!!! )
- His PR, available for Roar, Argus, Seagulls over ... (even places that don't exist like Burwash) etc.
- His handling of the pi$$ poor catering.
- Not to mention being voted the bestest by his peers.

But I don't look upon PB with rosy specs.

However I do look upon him as an employee of Tony Bloom.

Tony the man that pays his wages.
Tony hands out the bonuses.
Tony is that man that PB is answerable too
.
Therefore all the time PB is employed by Tony, I can only assume PB is a very good CEO of a second division football team.

He's a damn sight better at his job than any of the whinging, whining, pathetic, no necked Rodney's, sitting around in their skiddy moist panties, slagging him off and pointing the finger.

Any attack on PB is actually an attack on Tony, until such time as they part company.
(at which point I'm sure we'll all turn on PB)

 

[Weststander]

For the minority whinging about PB and FFP, or TB and FFP, and talk of FFP being a convenient smokescreen by the club... have you ever actually thought how the club's multi £m losses are actually covered and why the Club is not in financial trouble despite these huge losses?

In our case, they are met only one way - from further personal cash injections from TB, who has already forked out well over £100m on the Amex and training ground, as well as covering huge year on year accounting losses.

TB/PB aren't even claiming that we are realistically heading for break-even. They aspire for the Club to have smaller losses and with FFP this is mandatory, but the losses will still be in the £m's per annum, which yet again, can only come in cash terms from TB.

TB is either very generous or stupid- I hope he doesn't listen to a noisy ill informed few who whine, appear to have no concept of money and little gratitude.

 

[ozzygull]

For the minority whinging about PB and FFP, or TB and FFP, and talk of FFP being a convenient smokescreen by the club... have you ever actually thought how the club's multi £m losses are actually covered and why the Club is not in financial trouble despite these huge losses?

In our case, they are met only one way - from further personal cash injections from TB, who has already forked out well over £100m on the Amex and training ground, as well as covering huge year on year accounting losses.

TB/PB aren't even claiming that we are realistically heading for break-even. They aspire for the Club to have smaller losses and with FFP this is mandatory, but the losses will still be in the £m's per annum, which yet again, can only come in cash terms from TB.

TB is either very generous or stupid- I hope he doesn't listen to a noisy ill informed few who whine, appear to have no concept of money and little gratitude.

It does make you wonder doesn't it. The fact that Tony Bloom is a fan and I am sure he can probably afford it (I hope). I actually don't want him to have to keep ploughing millions of his own personal wealth in to the club. I feel as if he has already been generous beyond belief. Don't get me wrong, there is no one I would rather have as the chairman of the club it just seems unfair that he has to take all the hit. So anyway they can make money or reduce costs if that means it takes some of the burden off him the better.

We are very very lucky

 

[Working class pride]

I have no issue with PB but one thing. The manager clearly does not always get consulted about the players we have as we already signed a player after Garcia left and before SH joined. As such we dont have a proper manager, more a coach who does his best with other peoples players. I therefore expect that when it goes wrong, the bloke who bought the players blames the manager, and the manager blames the bloke who bought the payers. No doubt also, when it goes right, they both claim the credit. Not a way that i would spend the transfer budget myself.I would want to know exactly who gets the blame or the credit. But there we go, its TB's call and we cant expect to agree with everything he does.

 

[British Bulldog]

I have no issue with PB but one thing. The manager clearly does not always get consulted about the players we have as we already signed a player after Garcia left and before SH joined. As such we dont have a proper manager, more a coach who does his best with other peoples players. I therefore expect that when it goes wrong, the bloke who bought the players blames the manager, and the manager blames the bloke who bought the payers. No doubt also, when it goes right, they both claim the credit. Not a way that i would spend the transfer budget myself.I would want to know exactly who gets the blame or the credit. But there we go, its TB's call and we cant expect to agree with everything he does.

You seem to have missed the part where the deal to sign Toko was agreed earlier in the year when we did have Oscar in charge, For all we know there might have even been a pre-contract agreement signed meaning it had to go ahead anyway.

 

[Working class pride]

You seem to have missed the part where the deal to sign Toko was agreed earlier in the year when we did have Oscar in charge, For all we know there might have even been a pre-contract agreement signed meaning it had to go ahead anyway.

Yes, good point that might be the case. But the question still remains. Who takes responsibility for Toko (whether successful or not)? Are we saying he is Garcia's signing or some else at the club? There is only so much money to go around and who puts their hand up and says, "that was me, that was my player". Or is it that cop out that is often heard in business a "collective decision" which results in 8 people sticking their hand up when it goes right and everyone looking at their shoes when it goes wrong. If anyone but the manager makes the decision on who to spend the budget on then the manager has a finger to point if the team doesn't perform. Sure give the manager help but one man must make the decision for the spending the budget and that should be the man who takes responsibility for the team - the manager.

 

[B.W.]

Yes, good point that might be the case. But the question still remains. Who takes responsibility for Toko (whether successful or not)? Are we saying he is Garcia's signing or some else at the club? There is only so much money to go around and who puts their hand up and says, "that was me, that was my player". Or is it that cop out that is often heard in business a "collective decision" which results in 8 people sticking their hand up when it goes right and everyone looking at their shoes when it goes wrong. If anyone but the manager makes the decision on who to spend the budget on then the manager has a finger to point if the team doesn't perform. Sure give the manager help but one man must make the decision for the spending the budget and that should be the man who takes responsibility for the team - the manager.

So would you suggest selling / releasing all our players in preparation for a new manager arrival!?

 

[KZNSeagull]

Yes, good point that might be the case. But the question still remains. Who takes responsibility for Toko (whether successful or not)? Are we saying he is Garcia's signing or some else at the club? There is only so much money to go around and who puts their hand up and says, "that was me, that was my player". Or is it that cop out that is often heard in business a "collective decision" which results in 8 people sticking their hand up when it goes right and everyone looking at their shoes when it goes wrong. If anyone but the manager makes the decision on who to spend the budget on then the manager has a finger to point if the team doesn't perform. Sure give the manager help but one man must make the decision for the spending the budget and that should be the man who takes responsibility for the team - the manager.

David Burke holds the playing budget and he therefore takes the responsibility.